Producer hints that a success party might be held in Dubai post the film’s release.
The highly anticipated global premiere of Bollywood film Welcome Back (mostly filmed across Dubai), scheduled to be held at Music Hall on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai tonight, was cancelled on Monday. Star cast John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar and Shruti Hassan were expected to walk the red carpet, along with director Anees Bazmee, producer Firoz Nadiadwala and singer Mika Singh.
Along with the global premiere, a press conference and a fan event were also planned to give a chance to the public to interact with the cast.
“The cast of Welcome Back is extremely busy promoting the film here in India and are attending multiple screenings taking place here. They have a completely choc-a-block schedule in the release week. A premiere in Dubai does not seem feasible at this point,” said a statement by Raindrop Media, the film’s official publicity team.
Adding to this, Dubai-based associate producer Arjun Kumar told City Times, “We have shot Welcome Back for over a year and a half in Dubai and the Government and media here have been extremely loving and supporting towards us. We have generated more than reasonable coverage (in the UAE). So it was then decided to add another city in India itself to our ongoing promotions, which are hectic. The promos and the songs have been generating a lot of excitement and fanfare. Our film celebrates Dubai in all its glory and has shown the city like never before seen on celluloid. We have the Dubai Film and TV Commission to thank for its continuous support right through our filming. Dubai Tourism shares our excitement of Welcome Back reaching a maximum number of eyeballs.”
Made on a budget of $16 million, 90% of the movie has been filmed in Dubai at locations including Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Waldorf Astoria, Meydan, Sofitel Hotel – The Palm, Grand Hyatt and Burj Khalifa.
Earlier, Mana Al Suwaidi, Regional Director – Middle East & Sub-Continent, Dubai Tourism, had said, “Dubai is a vibrant hub of entertainment and is featured in the film, which is why Dubai Tourism is hosting the global premiere of Welcome Back.”
Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman of Dubai Film and TV Commission and Managing Director of Dubai Studio City, had said, “Dubai plays an iconic role in Welcome Back, with scenes shot across the Emirate in a number of unique locations. We are very pleased that Dubai has also been chosen as the location for the premiere, which reinforces the Emirate’s position as a key part of the Bollywood production value chain.”
Welcome Back, the sequel to the 2007 super hit Welcome, sees Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar and Paresh Rawal reprise their roles.
New cast members include John Abraham, Shruti Haasan and Naseeruddin Shah.
The movie will release in the UAE tomorrow, with producer Arjun hinting that a big success party might be held in Dubai following the film’s release.
